The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) blamed the Government for seeking to degrade the quality of medical education in Sri Lanka by giving approval for the establishment of private sector medical universities.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (11), IUSF Convenor Madushan Chandrajith said that the Government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe is willing to establish private medical faculties under the guise of expanding new opportunities in the medical sector. Speaking further, he said that starting private medical faculties and enrolling unqualified students could lead to a huge health crisis in the future, adding that it will discourage students who sit for the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level exams.
“We know that only students who obtain the best results can enter medical faculties in State universities. They are eligible to study such broader subjects. We cannot assure that private universities will enrol such qualified students. On the other hand, this could encourage students who are dreaming to be doctors, since they can easily get enrolled in a private university,” he said.
Chandrajith also said that the Government is attempting to intensify issues in the education sector by privatising it, even as many students are compelled to give up their education as a result of the skyrocketing cost of living. “This Government is far from ordinary people. They are going to make it unaffordable for ordinary people. Before starting new private universities, the Government must make plans to develop the State universities,” he added.
However, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) on 10 September urged the Government to ensure that proper feasibility tests are conducted prior to the establishment of non-State medical faculties, if the Government intends to expand medical education in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has reportedly given approval for the commencement of operations of three private medical universities. Speaking in this regard at a media briefing held in Kandy recently, Rambukwella stated that the relevant universities have already commenced operations.
Commenting on the recent controversies surrounding the provision of medical degrees at private universities, he stated that “there are many children who are eligible to study medicine, but we have only 11 universities in our country, which is insufficient”.
Moreover, he emphasised on the global recognition that medical degrees obtained from Sri Lankan universities hold, further explaining that the island nation should capitalise on this opportunity and produce more such students.
“Instead of hindering this global recognition that medical degrees from Sri Lanka receive, we need to maintain the same standards at both private and State universities. If we are able to produce outstanding students who would be of service to the world, we need to implement a system that would work in parallel with this goal,” he said in this regard.
The Education Ministry’s Secretary Nihal Ranasingha and the University Grant Commission Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge were not reachable.